Updated on March 5 to add a statement given to MUO by an AWS spokesperson.

Parler has dropped its previous lawsuit against Amazon, and has replaced it with another one. This time, Parler is suing Amazon for alleged defamation and breach of contract.

Parler Seeks Revenge Against Amazon

Parler's attack on Amazon isn't over. After the free speech platform filed a lawsuit against Amazon Web Services (AWS) in January 2021, a judge struck down Parler's case, citing that the platform "failed to allege basic facts." Parler has since dropped that lawsuit, and is instead going after Amazon with a new set of complaints.

In a copy of the filing originally posted by NPR, Parler claims that AWS "repudiated and breached its contract to host Parler’s website and app on AWS’s cloud services, in bad faith."

It then alleges that "AWS tried to justify the repudiation based on allegations against Parler that AWS knew were false" in order to "tarnish and defame Parler’s business."

Parler also claims that Amazon wanted to silence conservative voices, and alleges that Amazon wanted to prevent former President Donald Trump from joining the network. The lawsuit explains this in further detail, stating:

The true reason why AWS decided to suspend and/or terminate its contract with Parler was not because of any alleged breach of the contract, but because AWS did not want Parler to be able to provide a new platform to conservative voices, including Donald Trump, or to compete effectively with other microblogging platforms such as Twitter.

AWS gave Parler the boot shortly after the riots at Capitol Hill, claiming that Parler didn't do enough to counteract violent content on the platform. Google and Apple also stopped displaying Parler on their respective app stores, dealing another huge blow to the network.

An AWS spokesperson told MUO:

There is no merit to these claims. AWS provides technology and services to customers across the political spectrum, and we respect Parler’s right to determine for itself what content it will allow. However, as shown by the evidence in Parler’s federal lawsuit, it was clear that there was significant content on Parler that encouraged and incited violence against others, which is a violation of our terms of service. Further, Parler was unable or unwilling to promptly identify and remove this content, which coupled with an increase in this type of dangerous violent content, led to our suspension of their services.

Parler calls itself a "free speech social network," meaning that it doesn't have strict content moderation practices. This policy became Parler's downfall, as it was rendered inaccessible across all devices for about a month.

Although Parler finally made its way back on the web, it wasn't a smooth process. CEO and co-founder John Matze was fired in the process, and Parler had to rebuild its entire site using an alternative web hosting service and domain name registrar.

Parler Isn't Giving Up Just Yet

Parler isn't letting up on its efforts to make Amazon pay for the potential damages it may have caused. Taking on a tech behemoth—not once, but twice—is no small feat.

For now, though, it looks like Parler is here to stay. The platform still remains suspended from Apple and Google's mobile app stores, and there's no word on whether it will ever make its return on either official app store.